


Wild Flowers

by Lurkingawesome



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, All characters minor except HL, M/M, No Smut, just a bunch of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-04-07 01:46:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4244862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurkingawesome/pseuds/Lurkingawesome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Louis have been together for five years.  Louis is Harry's baby.</p>
<p>A whole week.  Seven stress-filled days of no “welcome home” kisses or small, thoughtful gifts.  It isn’t like Louis feels like he deserves presents, but when it’s been four and a half years of that—he expects it. It’s not like Harry is ignoring him.</p>
<p>But Harry is ignoring him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wild Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sowearegay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sowearegay/gifts).



> This is for the HL Spring Fic Exchange for SOWEAREGAY. I jumped in last minute to pinch-hit.
> 
> I've never written fic before. As a result--this.
> 
> This is not real life.

“Ni—its been a whole week.” Louis flops down on the sofa as he grumbles his concern.

A whole week. Seven stress-filled days of no “welcome home” kisses or small, thoughtful gifts. It isn’t like Louis feels like he deserves presents, but when it’s been four and a half years of that—he expects it. It’s not like Harry is ignoring him.

But Harry is ignoring him.

It started the day they moved in together, after only being “official” for six months. Harry came home with a box of Louis’ favorite chocolates after work. Even when Harry is home before Louis, he still makes sure to give him kisses—soft and sweet—hard and full of intent, or leaves a special something on the kitchen table for him. His favorite are the flowers that Harry insists are not picked from their garden—but they so are. It’s sweet. It’s them. And it hasn’t happened in a week.

Niall kicks him in the shin as he says, for the tenth time tonight, “Talk to him, Lou! Not that I don’t love our chats, but how am I supposed to learn how to make Shepherd’s Pie by tonight if you’re lounging about moaning over not getting presents every day. Honestly.” Niall’s eyeroll is not lost on Louis.

Niall is supposed to be his best friend—they were the only two boys in dance on Fridays in high school—supposed to stick together.

Those Friday nights turned into beer and pizza at University, ramen and video games for that awkward unemployed year right afterwards but since they started working together at Payne Studios, two years ago, the same year Niall married Sophia—their Friday night tradition morphed into practicing making dishes together for their respective partners, 90% of the time off of Food Network.

He’s supposed to listen to him bitch incessantly. He hasn’t had the patience for Louis since Sophia got pregnant, and now that she’s 6 months along—Niall won’t even let him decide the dishes they make anymore. She has weird cravings Lou—please save me!

Ugh, he should have called Zayn. Zayn and Liam aren’t expecting and thusly wouldn’t ruin a bitch fest with cravings. And he knows Zayn would have just smiled and handed him a paintbrush to take his frustrations out on the canvas. 

Louis groans as he prys his body off the couch and follows Niall into his kitchen. Niall’s smug face quickly turns into panic when he pulls up the recipe on his tablet.  
“C’mon—we got this. Grab the veggies out of the drawer and I’ll chop them up as you brown the beef.” Louis is trying. He knows he can be a pain, but it’s a baby, his face going soft, and Sophia deserves this.

Twenty minutes later, as the meat is simmering on the stove and the veggies are sitting nicely waiting for the last step, Louis grabs his phone and takes off towards the porch.

H—are you busy? Phone call?  
Everything alright? Soph okay??????????  
Yeah—just need to hear your voice.  
Ten minutes and I’m yours.

Louis pockets his phone as the panic starts to seep into his brain. He can do this. He can. Harry still loves him. Nothing to panic about. He repeats this to himself as he hollers for Niall to get this pie into the oven.

\---

Louis’ voicemail alert rings just as he is pulling the sliding door to the porch open.

“Why didn’t I hear that ring?” Louis mutters to himself as he lights up a cigarette. He enjoys the first few drags before settling into the outdoor lounge chair to listen to Harry’s voice wash over him.

“Hi babe. I’m just getting out of work, I miss you” Harry’s voice begins. Louis immediately feels stupid for ever thinking something was wrong. Harry has been really busy at work lately and honestly—this gift thing couldn’t have lasted forever.

Harry continues over Louis’ thoughts--“gotta stop and get something to eat before I head out to Gemma’s. Work was so stressful today. Perrie refused to do anything that required her to stand for more than twenty minutes. And with Louise out on maternity leave, I’m starting to lose my mind. I might have to hire someone else to help me in the store. Why is everyone pregnant at the same time?”

Louis and Harry audibly sigh at the same time. They’ve had this conversation a million times. Kids—yes, just not right now. That wasn’t hard to handle until everyone they love started having kids.

Louis’ heart is melting at the thought of being an uncle again while Harry’s voicemail continues over the sound of his own heart—“You’re still meeting me at Gemma’s right? Don’t forget to pick up something cute for Livvie, something Hello Kitty—I think that’s what she’s into right now. If you can’t find anything, she always loves those chocolates off of High St.—you know the ones—purple awning…anyways, you’ll figure it out, I’m sure. Best Uncle and all that. She is going nuts that baby Henry is getting so many presents for being born. Man, I cannot wait to meet him. That smell, babe, do you remember Livvie’s smell? *sigh* I need to smell him.”

After a brief pause that has Louis smiling over his phone, Harry signs off. “Face Time tonight? I need to see you. Text me. I love you so much, so fucking much.”  
The phone clicks off and Louis restarts the message as he lights another cigarette. He lives with Harry—sure—but ever since his boutique has really taken off—he rarely gets to see him. It really doesn’t get any easier to sleep apart. Louis lets the smoke sit in his lungs a bit to long to keep the tears from spilling over onto his cheeks. The burn helps him feel less like he’s falling apart over stupid gifts.

\--

After four hours, he just gives up. Louis can’t sleep. He accepts his fate, crawls out of bed and goes to make a cup of coffee to help revive his bones to actually be productive if he has to be up all night.

When he reaches into the fridge to find creamer—stuck to the back of the carton he finds a small note.

I miss your morning breath.  
I miss your inability to keep toothpaste off the sink.  
I miss when you make coffee—that ALL the grounds never make it to the garbage.  
I miss how long it takes you to asses that cup of coffee for perfection before you can actually drink it.  
I miss how sometimes you smell clothes to determine the cleanliness of them.  
I miss that stupid light you always insist you need on in the morning.  
I miss the way your oily bedhead hair sticks up, usually on the right side.  
I miss the damp floor of the bathroom because you always forget to put something down after a shower.  
I miss you in the mornings.

Waking up early lately has made me so much more aware of how imperfectly perfect you are in the morning.

Louis’ ability to control his emotions left after midnight. He braces himself against the counter and just lets the tears fall as he reads through the note again and again. 

After a good full minute of feeling so loved, his brain starts to wander. He hasn’t made coffee lately because the office got a new pod coffee maker. How long has this note been in there?

He takes off tearing through the house, making sure to grip that letter in his left hand for dear life. In his pajama drawer he finds a bag of Doritos, noting that he hasn’t worn anything other than boxers all week either, and Harry knows his bedtime snack so well.

He grabs the chips and flops on his bed reaching out for his phone on his way down.

He thumbs out two text messages back to back… 

NIALL—I found two. Which means there may be more and we’re just out of sync, not out of love.

And

Baby. I love you.xx

Niall’s response comes in first.

Well obviously. Go to bed.  
LOVE YOU. G’night.  
Night. Soph says love you too.

There is barely a brief pause from Niall’s declaration of Sophia’s love before Harry’s Face Timing him.

“Hi baby” Harry murmurs quietly in what appears to be Gemma’s living room.  
Immediately Louis lets out a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding in. It’s like finally being able to see with glasses on when you didn’t know you had a vision problem.  
“God, I miss you. Hi.” Louis waves shyly at his phone.

They talk for an hour before Harry’s yawns start to worry Louis.

“Baby—you need to go to bed. You look exhausted and I’m gonna need you tomorrow night.” He winks suggestively as Harry bursts out a giggle.

Ten minutes and several air kisses and I love you’s later, Louis has tucked Harry in and is on his second attempt at a cup of coffee. He opens up the cupboard and notices a bright red mug he hasn’t seen before.

When he realizes what it is, Louis’ grin pulls out those crinkles by his eyes as he mutters “Spiderman.” He clutches the mug briefly while the story plays over in his head.

Five years ago after begging Louis to give him a chance, Harry planned the perfect first date. He had borrowed his stepdads truck and loaded it down with pillows and blankets, popcorn and red vines. When Louis got to his house, sweaty from more nerves that he knew he could have, Harry had a movie projecting off his garage door. Spiderman. They barely watched the movie. Ended up talking until the sun came up. Louis knew the moment he got home that morning that Harry was it.

Louis perfected the cup of coffee and then reached back into the cupboard, suddenly craving popcorn. As the popcorn popped in the microwave, Louis flitted about tidying the kitchen and living room combination. The space is small, but it was their first place they ever lived together, and while they could afford more, Louis is having a hard time letting go. Probably the most frustrating argument they keep putting a pin in—going around in circles relentlessly. 

That, and marriage. Harry isn’t ready, Louis knows that. He knows that they will eventually marry each other, and that the problem isn’t Harry not wanting to marry Louis, and just Harry not wanting to marry. It’s just that Louis has been planning his wedding to Harry since Harry kissed him goodnight at 6am.

White daises. Tucked behind Harry’s ear, barefoot in the middle of a field filled with wild flowers. In front of the people the love—with the officiate sitting on the back of that first date truck. Hay to sit on, beer to sip on. Mason jars—white twinkly lights. Simple, sweet, and full of love…just like Harry.

The sound of the microwave completing brings Louis out of his love haze.

While lazily munching on popcorn and sipping coffee, he sets about to putter some more. He picks up a few blankets that are strewn about the couch, from who knows when, and folds them. Under the blankets he notices another note. It’s become like Easter or Christmas to him—finding more than one in a day.

Thank you for cleaning up the living room. I appreciate you.

“You’re welcome.” Louis’ smile stays bright as he puts the note in the pile of other things he’s found. He grabs the chocolate and the Doritos and brings them back into the living room. He flops his body onto the couch and flips on the TV, hoping for some God-awful reality show. Those are the best.

Two hours marathon-ing Keeping Up With The Kardashians, has the Doritos gone and the chocolates nearly meeting the same fate and Louis snoozing on the pile of previously-folded blankets. Louis’ phone is what wakes him.

Pushing the now unfolded blankets off his body and slowly pushing himself upright, Louis tries to get the fog to lift off his brain as he registers the daylight screaming at his over-tired body.

He silences his mothers call and hops in the shower, after seeing that he’s only minorly late and Livvie will have to settle on getting something from a shop on the way. With a quick wash, and a barely-there fluff of towel through his hair, he calls it good. Looting around for new underwear he sees a new bottle of cologne on his dresser. 

The exact one he tried on when they were walking through Macy’s last week. Louis smiles to himself, noting how spoiled he is and how he’s going to have to talk to Harry about these indulges. He’s never received anything over ten dollars before. It’s not fair to have Harry expect to deliver on that scale.

He rolls around the idea of maybe not having an argument at Gemma’s while he’s trying to be a good boyfriend at a baby shower. Finally pulling on the outfit laid out by Harry—dark jeans, and a white v-neck, he locates what he hopes are appropriate dress shoes—his keys, wallet, a final sprits of the new delicious, decadent smell he’s out the door.

He plugs his headphones in just as he gets into his car, pulls out of the driveway and gives Harry a ring.

“Hi baby, you on the road?”  
“Yeah—well sort of. I’m in the car. I overslept—fell asleep on the couch.  
“Are you feeling okay? Please tell me you feel okay—I could not handle you being sick today of all days.”  
“I’m fine. But it’s just a baby shower. Gemma’s even had a baby before. Are you really this desperate for a child?”  
“Shut up. I love you. Just—“  
Louis pulls into the coffee shop down the road as Harry finishes the sentence…”stop for coffee and grab Livvie something from the cute little kid shop next door.”  
Louis giggles. “I literally just pulled in. I love you too. How have we never been in this store, it is so cute. Ohmigosh Harry—Livvie NEEDS princess dress up! Please let me buy this. I know it’s not Hello Kitty, but I need to play princess dress up with someone!”  
Harry is full on giggling “Hahaha, yeah babe, perfect. You’re perfect. Grab that, and the latte and get your princess ass to me so I can touch it. Drive safe, seen you in about an hour. Love you baby.”  
“Love you….byeeeee.”

When he’s ringing up the play set, he sees this adorable stuffed giraffe wearing a sparkly rainbow t-shirt. On impulse he buys the giraffe for someday.

He’s so full of joy and air that he practically flits to out of the store and into the coffee shop.

“Louis! Hi! Latte—no sugar. Have a great day!” Bizarre. Louis takes the cup and written on the side of the cup in red letters is

I love you to the moon and back. –H

Seven.

Louis thanks everyone and gets back into his car. He grabs his phone and shoots out a message to Harry before he gets on the freeway.

You got me a pre-order Latte? You’re amazing. I love you so much. You better not have any plans tonight because your body is mine. PS—I bought you something. Us something.  
It’s yours.

Louis floats up to Gemma’s. And within an hour the baby shower is done, Princess Dress Up has been a success. Louis places a crown on Harry’s head and kisses him against the stairwell as Livvie tries to pry them apart.

“Uncle LOU-IS!!! Not yet!”  
“Not yet? Why not yet?”  
“Princesses kiss their princes on their wedding!!”  
“Oh yes, of course my love, how could I have forgotten! No more kisses for you!”  
Livvie is giggling next to them as Louis whispers in Harry’s ear “later my prince. I will be your dirty little Cinderella.” He barely gets it out before he giggles atop Harry’s lap.  
“Livvie time to go sweetie.” Gemma shouts from the other room. Livvie kisses both boys and bouncing away.  
“God I love her. I want one.” Louis says wistfully as he melts against Harry.  
“Okay.” Harry didn’t put any hint of sarcasim or worry or fear in that answer.  
“Okay? Wh—What?” Louis gasps as he puts his hands on both sides of Harrys face and searches his eyes for something else.  
“Yeah, okay. I didn’t expect to have this conversation today. Or in my sister’s stairwell. But, okay. Yes. I love you.”  
The giddiness fills the air. Electrifies every air molecule. When he tries to kiss Harry its all teeth because they are both smiling so much.  
“Please tell me we can go upstairs.” Louis desperately tries to get out in between each long, wet kiss.  
“I wanna show you something I’ve been working on.”

They both leap up and Harry grabs his hand and leads him outside. Louis stops at his car and grabs the giraffe, spins Harry around and whispers, “someday” as he places the giraffe in Harry’s left hand, grabs his right and walks down to Harry’s car. Harry and Louis’ smiles don’t leave their cheeks as they kiss over the middle consol. About three minutes later, Harry finally starts the car, putting the stuffed animal on the dashboard facing forward.

“Where are you taking me baby? Can I have a hint?”  
“Spiderman”

Throughly confused as they pass by Harry’s parents home, where they had their first date, Louis tries again.

“Okay. Your parents live that way. Spiderman happened there. I was not that love-drunk.”

Harry said nothing, just smiled and rubbed the inside of Louis’ jeans as they headed out of town. About ten minutes later, they are in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road when Louis speaks again.  
“Please don’t tell me you’ve been working on your murdering techniques. I don’t want to die before I get married.” Harry barks out a laugh and pulls into a field alongside what appears to be a dozen or so other cars.  
“Baby, I love you, please take your socks and shoes off and come with me. No murdering, promise.”  
Louis complies, but takes his time. “Harry, you’re scaring me. What’s going on? I haven’t seen much of you in months, just yesterday I thought we were drifting apart and now you’re blindly leading me to a strange location. Seriously, give me more before we go further.”  
“What? Why would you think we’re drifting apart?”  
“I hadn’t received anything from you for a whole week. Well, I mean, I thought I hadn’t. I was so scared. I can’t lose you baby.”  
“You’re not losing me. C’mon, I promise. You’ll love this.”  
“Okay, but if I have to do manual labor, or there are animals and bugs involved, I’m out of here.”  
“Noted.” Harry says on a laugh as he leads him into the barn.

They walk through the sun-lit barn to the opposite end and stand in front of the big doors leading out the other side. Harry turns to Louis, takes both hands and says,

“Louis. Baby. You are everything to me. I love you more than I can articulate. I love that how you treat me like I am the most important person in the world who can do anything. You’re so supportive baby. I love how you know exactly when you need me and let me be the person I was born to be—someone utterly in love with you. I’ve known I wanted to marry you since before Spiderman. I can’t imagine a life without you in it. You complete me, and so—will you, Louis William Tomlinson, marry me?”

Louis drops his hands, shaking, and grabs Harry anywhere he can find and just starts kissing every inch of his face, through the tears.

Harry whispers through a giggle, “you have to answer me.”

“Yes, yes, ohmigod, yes! Baby!” He screams as he jumps into Harrys arms and leans into him, eyes darting from his eyes to his lips, he softly kisses Harry and slides down until his feet are flat on the floor. As he pulls away, Harry mutters,  
“Today?”  
“Any day.”

Harry pulls open the door as he says more definitively “today.”

He reveals a field of wild flowers where rows of loved ones lead toward the bed of the Spiderman truck.

“I love you” they both say at the same time as everyone turns around to watch them walk down the aisle together.


End file.
